“How does it feel?” El held the prince's hands firmly in his, as they stood together face to face.

“It feels . . . wow.” Prin shuffled his feet on the stone floor. He laughed suddenly, the sound ringing from the walls. “Wow. So strange.” His eyes like blue fire, burned into Elwin's.

The thoughts flew from Elwin's head like paper birds as he stared into them holding onto those hands for dear life. “I think you're as tall, no, taller then me now.” He said, voice soft with wonder. He let go of one of his life preservers and flattened his hand on top of his head, then raised up to the top of Prin's head. “Yep, taller.”

Prin leaned in and kissed his friend a quick peck on the mouth, followed by pecks to the checks and forehead. “I'm happy!” He declared.

Elwin dropped the other hand in shock and took a step backward. They had not kissed each other like that since they were very young and he was surprised by it.

The prince's legs buckled and he started to fall, as ungainly as a newly born foal.

Elwin tried to catch him, but missed, and they both fell on their butts in the middle of the bedroom floor.

The prince was laughing again.

“I'm sorry! I let go.” Elwin said earnestly. “It's all my fault.”

“No, I'm sorry!” Prin said. “I'm just so happy! I had to kiss you. I'm so happy to see you!” His smile turned sheepish. “Sorry.” he said again. “It felt like it had been forever and I was missing you.”

The sweetness hurt Elwin's heart. “How could you be sorry to me?” I'm the one who couldn't be there when you needed me. I should have found a way. He tried to keep the negative thoughts in his own head and avoid saying them. “You can kiss me any time.” He said, suddenly shy himself but determined not to let it be awkward between them. “I guess it will take you a little longer to learn to walk then it takes a foal.” He added. “We have time.”

“All the time in the world.” The prince agreed. He was still pale, and had shadows under each eye as deep and dark as caves, but the ear to ear smile made up for it somehow.

“Do your legs hurt at all?” Elwin asked. “You haven't had any medicine today, if they still hurt it's okay to say it.”

“No.” Prin shook his head. “They don't. But,” A troubled look passed his face briefly before he banished it away with what was clearly a strong act of will. He always had been stubborn.

“But?” Elwin prompted. He took one of the prince's hands again. Was it okay if he never let it go?

“My stomach hurts.” Prin said reluctantly. “I- it's different from anything i've felt before.” He put his hand tightly over his belly.

“Oh! You haven't eaten anything in days!” Elwin said. “She said you would be hungry. And here I did nothing to prepare for it.” He shook his head at his own stupidity. “What do you feel like having? I'll get a feast and bring it up here!”

“I'm not sure if that's it . . .” Prin said. “She?”

“Yeah, the old woman, the witch.” Elwin said. He stood up and reached down to pick up Prin. “You're heavier then you were! I don't know how it's possible, but it's a good sign.” He sat Prin back on his bed. “Don't try to get up. I'm afraid you might fall. I'll be back with lots of good things to eat, okay?”

He hurried out the door, with Prin saying “Old woman?” behind him.

Elwin got a basket and began to raid the kitchen, filling it with bread and cheese, fruit, and every kind of sweet he could find. He second guessed his choices and added some vegetable beef stew that was simmering, feeling that perhaps Prin's stomach would not be up to all these other things yet.

The staff gave him funny looks but knew well enough to just get out of the way. He could sometimes take for granted the privilege he had, as someone so closely associated with one of the royals, even if it was the one everyone was forced to act like they had forgotten existed. They didn't really forget.

“Who goes there?” Elwin's mother stood in front of her son with her hands on her hips and a little smile on her face. “Are you stealing from my kitchen? I was going to use that.” She wiped her hands on her stain covered apron, the same one El remembered burying his face in when he hugged her around the knees when she came home, once in a rarely, after a long day of work. He could tell that she was teasing him but didn't really have time.

“I have to get this stuff to Prin-- The prince, he just woke up after a long time . . .” Elwin said, trying to get around her large form.

“Oh, he's awake then! That's nice.” His mom said. “Dolce told me she was worried about you. If you need me to make anything specific, anything at all, I would be glad. Listen, Elwin, about the prince --”

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“You don't need to worry about me. None of you do.” Elwin said firmly. “Mom, the two of us are going to be just fine.” He gave her a pointed look that he hoped conveyed what he was trying to say. Please don't try to drive a wedge between us, because it will never work. And you have no right. He hoped his look said all that because he didn't think he had the guts to say it with words. But if he had to, if forced, he would say that and more.

“I think . . . I gave you to them when you were a toddler, just to make my own life easier. And this is the result of my folly.” Elwin's mom tilted her head to the side, as though only considering this as one among many life choices. “But don't think it means they own you.” She gestured around herself, the royal they, the they that owned everything and every person currently bustling around them. “You are your own man. You're free, son. You're free.”

Elwin felt his chest tighten. What she had said was both heavy, and some how affirming. He wanted to hug her, because he knew exactly what she meant. And chose to take it that she was supporting him. But it had been too long since the last hug and it just didn't seem like something they did anymore. “I know mom. That's why I'm doing exactly what I want to be doing.” He said.

“Well go on then, hurry up before the soup gets cold.” Elwin's mom shooed him out of the kitchen.

*

Elwin bounded up the long stairs yet again. They were going to have to soon put this tower behind them once and for all. Especially with the prince walking now, and the beautiful difficulties there would be in that, until there weren't.

He was just so damn cute! El didn't particularly try to stop himself from thinking it. He wondered idly if the prince thought HE was cute. Nah, there was just no way.

When Elwin got to the bedroom door, he awkwardly juggled the foods in his hands in order to get the door open. “I'm back!” He said cheerfully. “Hopefully there's something here that hits the spot.”

The happy words dried up in his mouth when he saw that his prince was covered in blood.

Prin was propped up against his pillows, his left arm and the lower half of his face smeared with the red stuff. His eyes were closed, but opened slowly and they had a strange sheen to them. Like a cat's eyes in the darkness, they had caught a reflection from somewhere and glowed. There was no recognition there, at first, and he bared his blood stained teeth at his friend.

Elwin dropped the stuff on the floor and ran to his side. “What happened!? What have you done!?” He took Prin's arm that was bleeding freely where he had bitten it.

As though the cat had it's leg in a trap. But there was nothing holding him. Nothing keeping him from escaping. Not anymore, anyway.

“Oh no, no, this is bad.” Elwin fussed. “Why did you do it? I should get the doctor. I can't leave you alone. Did you hallucinate? That must be it. Do you know who I am?” He tore his eyes from the bite wound and met Prin's.

Prin's pupil's widened, from the pinprick they had been, and began to fill with water. “It hurts.” He said in a creaky voice. His lower lip quivered and a couple of fat tears rolled through the red mess on his face.

“I know it does.” Elwin said softly. “Hold it close.” He pressed the prince's arm into his chest and got up to get first aid supplies from the cabinet in the corner. Luckily they were not in short supply, having been stocked up from the number of other more mundane mishaps over the years.

He pulled out the bandages and salve. “It's okay, it's not your fault. I'll get you some medicine.” He mixed up the pain and fever relieving powder into some water. He tried to keep a cool head. It was a strange thing to walk into, certainly, but people with fevers did strange things. He must have a fever.

“I didn't mean my arm. . .” the prince said.

“It's just a little set back. No big deal.” Elwin said forcefully. “Remember your strong legs? Let's focus on that.”

“I'm not strong.” Prin said.

“They'll get stronger. You have to learn to use them is all.” Elwin assured. He sat down beside Prin and cleaned his arm. “It's okay. Shh shh.” He hummed a little tune that nanny used to sing to them while he applied the salve and bandage.

Elwin washed his face and held the medicine up for him to sip it. “Want a little soup?”

“O-kay.” Prin said. All trace of his earlier cheer had drained away and he seemed dejected, going through the motions.

Elwin kissed his cheek. “Don't worry. You will get much stronger, I can feel it. And when that happens I'm going to get you out of this stupid tower. You'll be so well that you'll actually get bored and I'll have to teach you how to work in the kitchens.” he teased. The prince's cheek felt cold under his lips, not hot like he would have expected.

Elwin fed him a few bites of soup that he didn't seem to have much enthusiasm for and he fell asleep half way in the middle of.

That's alright, he may be hungry again when he wakes up. Elwin arranged the foods on the small table so he could see what all there was to choose from when he woke up.

Elwin considered that this may be a good time to sneak out and get the doctor after all, but he was afraid to leave. Also, had the castle physician ever done them much good in the past? El figured he was as much of a doctor himself as that man, by this point. Still, the arm wound had been pretty bad, it might require stitches . . .

As luck would have it, one of the cleaning staff, a young woman with a rather sour expression on her face, chose that moment to come in to straighten up and empty the chamber pot, etc.

“Oh good!” Elwin smiled at her.

The girl's face flushed bright red, for some reason. But never mind that, there wasn't really time for El to waste wondering about it.

“What's so good?” She asked. She was carrying a bucket along with her basket of cleaning supplies. Her long dark hair was pulled into a bun and she seemed long suffering, but had perked up a little when he spoke to her.

“Oh just, nothing, nothing really.” Elwin said. “Just glad you're here. Or someone's here anyway. You can stay with him while I go fetch the doctor. There was a little accident. If you could just sit right here and don't go anywhere?” He took her arm and guided her to the bottom corner of the bed. “I would be so grateful! And hey, it will give you a chance to take a break, right?”

Her expression showed the heights and depths of human emotion. Glad I'm here? Happy. Stay in this creepy room? Wary. Disappointed. Touched my arm? Happy again. Sit on the bed? Very Unsure about this. Take a break and maybe eat a snack from that table? Hmm. Cautiously optimistic.

Elwin laughed. It was like he could read her mind from just looking at her face. “He won't bite.” He teased. “Just be here in case he needs you to hand him anything, or whatever? I'll be back as soon as I can.”

He was still shaking his head as he left the room and headed downstairs. Was it his imagination, or were girls weird?